Querer (to want) in Spanish

Overview

The verb querer means "to want" and is one of the most useful verbs you will learn at the A1 level. It lets you express desires, make requests, order food, and even say "I love you." Querer is a stem-changing verb with an e → ie change, which means its conjugation is slightly irregular but follows a predictable pattern.

What makes querer especially versatile is that it works with both nouns and infinitives. You can say Quiero un café (I want a coffee) or Quiero ir al cine (I want to go to the cinema). It is also the most common way to express romantic love in Spanish: Te quiero (I love you).

How It Works

Present tense conjugation

Subject	Form	Example
yo	quiero	Quiero agua. (I want water.)
tú	quieres	¿Qué quieres? (What do you want?)
él / ella / usted	quiere	Quiere ir. (He/She wants to go.)
nosotros/as	queremos	Queremos pizza. (We want pizza.)
vosotros/as	queréis	¿Queréis venir? (Do you all want to come?)
ellos / ellas / ustedes	quieren	Quieren salir. (They want to go out.)

The e → ie change occurs in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Querer + noun

Use querer directly with a noun to say what you want:

• Quiero un café. (I want a coffee.)
• ¿Quieres una manzana? (Do you want an apple?)
• Queremos la cuenta. (We want the check.)

Querer + infinitive

Use querer with an infinitive to express wanting to do something:

• Quiero viajar. (I want to travel.)
• ¿Quieres comer algo? (Do you want to eat something?)
• No queremos ir. (We don't want to go.)

Querer for love

Querer is the standard way to express love in Spanish:

• Te quiero. (I love you.) — used with family, close friends, romantic partners
• Te quiero mucho. (I love you very much.)

For deeper or more formal expressions of love, Spanish also uses amar: Te amo.

Examples in Context

Spanish	English	Note
Quiero un café.	I want a coffee.	Ordering / requesting
¿Quieres venir?	Do you want to come?	Invitation
Te quiero.	I love you.	Romantic/affectionate
Queremos ir al cine.	We want to go to the cinema.	Group desire
¿Qué quiere usted?	What would you like? (formal)	Formal request
No quiero ir.	I don't want to go.	Refusal
¿Queréis jugar al fútbol?	Do you all want to play soccer?	Vosotros form
Quiere ser médica.	She wants to be a doctor.	Aspiration
¿Quieres bailar?	Do you want to dance?	Invitation
No queremos problemas.	We don't want problems.	Common expression

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the stem change

• Wrong: Yo quero un café.
• Right: Yo quiero un café.
• Why: Querer has an e → ie stem change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugating the infinitive after querer

• Wrong: Quiero voy al cine.
• Right: Quiero ir al cine.
• Why: When querer is followed by another verb, that verb must be in the infinitive form.

Using querer too bluntly in formal settings

• Wrong: Quiero la cuenta. (in a nice restaurant)
• Right: ¿Me puede traer la cuenta, por favor?
• Why: While quiero is grammatically correct, it can sound demanding in formal situations. Soften requests with ¿Puede...? or Me gustaría...

Practice Tips

• Order food and drinks. Practice at mealtimes: Quiero un café, quiero una ensalada, ¿quieres postre? This makes the verb feel natural in context.
• Express daily wishes. Say what you want to do each day: Quiero descansar, quiero leer, quiero salir con amigos.
• Practice the stem change pattern. Write out the conjugation and notice the ie in quiero, quieres, quiere, quieren vs. the regular e in queremos, queréis.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Regular -ER Verbs